The rains have stopped (even though it is still cold). But this means that all of the bugs in the ground are ready for the "picking" for the many birds that rely on these bugs for their diet.
Recently, after catching some wildflowers in "action", opening their petals to the welcome warmth and shine of the sun, I caught two unlikely friends walking together. The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) and the hadada ibis (Bostrychia hagedash) walked close by each other, striking a conversation that they did not want me to listen to.
In the foreground, a wildflower is also caught in the conversation, lucky that these birds are mere bug and grass eaters, and not like the Dassie (or rodents) that feast on the yellow flowers that come out this time of the year.
As I tried to sneak closer and closer to them, they moved away from me, as they did not want me to hear the secrets they were discussing.
The world will not be able to take it if they know...
Look, he is listening...
Stop him from hearing!
I am sure this is how their conversation went.
Lame jokes aside, these two friends walked side by side for a while when we looked at them from a safe distance. Only when I tried to get closer to them, did they try to flee from my gaze. Just like some people in the restaurant business, when they see DSLR cameras, they want to go away or they ask me to put the thing away.
Even though these birds strike fear in many South Africans, fear not of the bird but the loud screams and cries, they play such important roles. They eat many bugs and critters that locals see as pests. Rather than rely on poison to control the bugs, we should just get a bunch of these birds to do free pest control!
Again, jokes aside, it is sad to realise this fact: these birds' diets are the things we want to kill with poison. If we are successful in killing all the "unwanted bugs", these birds will not have any food. How sad would a world and life be without birds?
Either way, I hope that we will soon realise that our hubris will be our end, and that we might co-exist in more sustainable ways with our friendly friends.
I am sure that if we were "smart" enough to get ourselves into this problem, we would definitely be smart enough to get ourselves out of it, for there is more than enough for us all on this tiny blue planet.
I imagine a world where we all get along, with our differences being just that, differences and not markers of superiority and inferiority, and that even the bugs are seen as valuable for our existence. Because they really are, even if only to feed the most beautiful birds.
For now, happy birding, and keep well.
All of the musings and writings are my own, albeit inspired by the imaginary discussion between these two birds. The photographs are also my own, taken with my Nikon D300 and Tamron 300mm zoom lens.